


The Goddess of Nightmares

by Pokeluv101



Series: The Forest of Ash Series [4]
Category: Servamp (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Greek Mythology, Family Fluff, Fluff, M/M, Oneshot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-06-23 04:17:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15598113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pokeluv101/pseuds/Pokeluv101
Summary: Sequel to "The Forest of Ash"Lily sends a present to Kuro and Mahiru. They were shocked when they discover it was a baby.





	The Goddess of Nightmares

“I wonder what’s inside,” Mahiru said as he studied the chest Lily sent them. It was large enough to hold a boar and they placed it on a bench in their garden. He could hear a thumping inside. He hoped Lily didn’t trap a poor animal inside the box. Kuro and Mahiru were both shocked when he lifted the cover and they saw what was inside. A tiny baby was sleeping in the box.

The light woke the infant and it let out a loud cry. Mahiru immediately scooped the tiny baby into his arms and tried to comfort it. He gently rubbed its back and whispered, “There, there, little one. You’re out of that stuffy box so there’s no need to cry anymore. We’re going to have a talk with Lily about this. I have a few choice words for him.”

Kuro could only imagine the lecture his husband would give the Olympian. Mahiru was a kind god and he was very protective of humans. He would even face an Olympian for their sake. That passion was one of the many things he fell in love with. He rocked the small baby in his arms and cooed at it. Soon, its crying stopped and it snuggled against Mahiru.

“What should we do?” Kuro asked. The baby appeared drowsy so he dimmed the lights from his crystals so it could sleep easier. He looked back into the box and noticed a note. He picked it up and read it, “ _I’m certain you are surprised by my gift. She is the Goddess of Nightmares and her parents abandoned her. I saved her but I don’t have time to look after her. Please, love her as your own daughter._ ”

“So, that’s why he sent her to us.” Mahiru sighed. He thought of his own mother and he didn’t know how someone could abandon their own child. She was sleeping soundly now so he went to lay her down. He filled the box with clouds before he lowered her into the makeshift bed. “I wish he would’ve talked to us first instead of surprising us like this. We could’ve prepared a room for her at least.”

“Lily likely knew I’ll say no.” His answer shocked Mahiru. He went on to explain, “My forest is no place for a child to grow up. It’s dangerous and there are few people she can play with. I don’t know anything about raising a baby, let alone one with godly powers. She’ll be better off with another family on Earth. Maybe Misono and Tetsu wants a baby.”

“But they’re humans and they might not be able to help her control her powers.” Mahiru argued but he could see that Kuro was still reluctant to agree. He bit his lip and tried to think of a compromise. “I guess we should talk to Lily and ask him to find someone else to adopt her. Can she stay with us until then? It’ll only be for a few months.”

“Ahh!” The baby cried from the crib and they turned back to her. She struggled to stand and held onto the edge of the box for balance. She slammed her palm against the wood and Mahiru guessed that she wanted attention. He walked to her and a wide grin appeared on her face. In her excitement, she hit the box hard enough for it to tilt and tip over. Mahiru gasped and he rushed to the box.

He formed clouds beneath the falling box to catch it. The clouds he placed in the box should’ve kept her from becoming hurt but Mahiru was still concerned. He picked up the box and searched through the clouds for her. His concern turned to panic after he dispersed the clouds and found her gone. “Where did she go? Little one, come back.”

Kuro started to walk forward to help Mahiru search for her but then he felt a light weight on his robe. He looked over his shoulder and said: “I think I found her, Mahiru.”

“You did?” He nodded and gestured to his back. Mahiru walked around him and a small laugh escaped him. The baby was sitting on his dark cloak. She beamed a smile up at them and rolled around until she was swaddled in the fabric. Kuro was forced to sit down so he wouldn’t be choked by her pulling on his cloak. “It looks like she can use some of her godly power already.”

“This is going to be troublesome.” He sighed. Mahiru raised her off his cloak and stroked Kuro’s neck to ease the pain slightly. He turned his attention back to the baby when she began to fuss in his arms. He bounced her a bit and she clapped happily as she laughed. The picture of the two smiling together made Kuro’s heart melt. He placed his hand on Mahiru’s hair. “I guess we can find room for her.”

“Oh, thank you, Kuro! Did you hear that, little one? You can stay with us until we find you a permanent family. Say thank you to Kuro and make sure to behave.” Mahiru spoke to her in a soft voice. He doubted that she understood him since she was more interested in playing with the ring on his finger. “We should give her name if she’s staying with us. It’ll be awkward to continue calling her ‘little one’.”

“Do you like the name Kore?” Kuro suggested. She wrinkled her nose and then let out a loud sneeze. Thunder clouds exploded around them in time with her sneeze and Mahiru quickly waved the clouds away. Kuro groaned, “Maybe she’s more of a Persephone.”

“I don’t think she likes that name either. How do you feel about the name Melinoe?” Mahiru suggested. The girl began to babble but it was difficult to understand what she was trying to tell them since she couldn’t talk yet. He entertained her rambling and continued to list names for her to choose from. Kuro watched the two until a name came to him.

“Machi?” The name seemed to make the little girl happy. She squealed loudly and stretched her hands towards Kuro. He felt a little awkward as Mahiru passed her to him. She squirmed in his hold and he was afraid he would drop her so he placed her on the ground. She crawled towards him and held onto his knee as she pulled herself onto her feet.

Repeatedly, she said: “Ma! Ma-ma.”

“Mama? I think she’s calling for you, Mahiru. Here you go,” He chuckled and tried to hand her back to Mahiru. He pouted at his husband’s simple teasing.

“She’s obviously trying to say she likes the name Machi.” Mahiru corrected him. The little girl nodded with a large, toothless grin. She climbed onto Kuro’s lap and grabbed Black Cat’s tail. He stopped the cat from hurting her and untangled her fingers from its tail. Her lips quivered, clearly upset that she couldn’t play with the cat on his shoulder.

“You can play with this.” Mahiru created a fluffy cloud for her. “Welcome to the Forest of Ash, Machi.”

* * *

“I finally got Machi to go to bed.” Mahiru told Kuro as he walked into their room. He realized that Kuro was already fast asleep in their bed. He couldn’t blame him though. After the tiring day they had, he must’ve been exhausted. He thought that it would be best to let him rest. He leaned over Kuro and gave him a quick kiss. “I love you, Kuro. Sweet dreams.”

He wanted to slip into bed and sleep next to his husband but he couldn’t when their room was a mess. Mahiru picked up the dirty clothes at the foot of the bed and tossed them into a basket. He tried to be as quiet as possible to not disturb Kuro or Machi in the next room. It was difficult to put her to bed because she wanted to play more. He wondered if his mother had so much trouble with him when he was a child.

Mahiru thought of how Kuro was with Machi throughout the day. While he played with her, it was obvious that he was hesitant and unsure of himself. Hopefully, Kuro would become more comfortable in his new role as a parent over time. He understood how he felt a little. They did adopt Machi that morning and with very little preparation, after all.

“Don’t leave me.” He heard Kuro groan behind him. He was still asleep but he started to toss and turn in their bed. Mahiru rushed to his side and gently shook his shoulders. His body was tense and he could see the agony on his face. It was clear that he was having a nightmare and Mahiru tried to wake him up. He couldn’t stand to see him in such pain.

“Wake up, Kuro!” Mahiru yelled.

At that moment, Kuro sat up sharply. He was still a little dazed and it took him a moment to realize that he wasn’t in his nightmare anymore. Mahiru hugged him tightly and he stroked his hair tenderly. Sweat coated his forehead and Mahiru gently wiped his brow. He could feel him trembling and whispered comforting words to him. “Everything is fine, Kuro. It was just a nightmare.”

Kuro composed himself and slowed his breathing to an even pace. He listened to his steady heartbeat and he gradually relaxed. He buried his face into Mahiru’s shoulder and enveloped himself into his warmth. Mahiru kissed the top of his head and said, “It’s rare for gods to have nightmares. Do you want to talk to me about it? I understand if you don’t but it might help.”

“It’s okay. I thought I lost you and your soul was… Just hold me a little more, Mahiru. I need to know you’re here with me.” Mahiru nodded. They sat together in silence for a few moments. His hand comforted him and silently reassured him that he wouldn’t leave him. The day he almost lost the man he loved replayed itself in his head. Nothing could scare the God of the Dead more than that thought.

With his arms securely around his waist, Kuro laid down on the bed with Mahiru. He controlled the blanket and draped it over them even though he only needed him to stay warm. Mahiru nestled against him and kissed his neck. Kuro’s eyes began to flutter closed but he couldn’t fall asleep until Mahiru whispered to him. “I’ll be here when you wake up, Kuro.”

* * *

Mahiru was exhausted. A week had passed since they adopted Machi and he hadn’t been able to rest much in that time. It wasn’t only raising a baby that kept him awake. Kuro’s nightmares had progressively worsened each night and he spent most of his nights comforting him. He loved Kuro so he didn’t mind the late nights but he was worried. Gods rarely had dreams, let alone nightmares.

He was lost in thought until Machi patted his knee. “Fuu!”

“Fuu?” He glanced down at her playing with the flowers in the garden. Mahiru plucked a dandelion and held the fluffy, white plant in front of the infant. He blew softly and scattered the seeds into the air. She stretched out her tiny hands to catch the white flakes but they floated away too quickly. He patted her head and held another dandelion in front of her. “Here. Make a wish and blow.”

“Ahhh,” She stared at the plant in awe. Mahiru was shocked when she ate the dandelion instead of blowing on it. He began to panic and tried to make her split out the seeds. She shook her head and crawled towards the other flowers. Machi beckoned to them and their shape began to change. A dark mist rose from the ground.

Mahiru suppressed the clouds she made. His control over clouds was better than hers but he knew she would become stronger with time. He lightly chastised the toddler, “I know you want to play but your godly powers shouldn’t be used carelessly. This garden is important to Kuro so you shouldn’t do anything to the flowers. Let’s play with the instead.”

He handed her a rattle and shook it gently. Machi wrapped her tiny fingers around the handle and hit the rattle against the ground to make it jingle. He smiled softly as he watched her play. His attention was only stolen by Kuro’s footsteps behind him. He took Machi’s hand and moved it in a waving gesture towards Kuro. “Look who’s awake. Did you have a nice nap, Kuro?”

“Yeah. Thanks for letting me sleep in.” He waved back to Machi before he knelt in front of Mahiru. He brushed his lips over his forehead and settled himself beside him. Kuro placed his hand on top of Mahiru’s and affectionately tangled their fingers together. He could only sleep in the early morning because the nightmares wouldn’t plague him in that time.

Kuro noticed that Mahiru had bags under his eyes. He felt guilty for making him stay up so late. While gods didn’t need sleep, he could tell the late nights were taking their toll on Mahiru. He tried to think of something he could do for him. “I’ll play with her and you can have a cat nap. How hard can watching one little girl be?”

“Are you sure? You need to give out judgements this afternoon.” Mahiru reminded him. He knew that Kuro was trying to be considerate and he thought it was sweet of him. But, as an Olympian, Kuro had a lot of responsibilities. He didn’t want to bother him so he picked up Machi and said, “I’m fine for now. You can help me take care of her after you give out your judgements.”

“If you’re sure.” Kuro cupped his face and reminded him, “I’m your partner and I’m here for you.”

“I love you.” He leaned against Kuro’s arm. He felt comfortable and content next to him that Mahiru relaxed against his side. A yawn escaped Mahiru and his eyes drifted close. Kuro nudged Black Cat and it transformed into a lion. He moved Mahiru so he was leaning against the fury creature and he could sleep peacefully. Whenever he looked at him, Kuro thought of how tranquil Mahiru made his life.

In the corner of his eyes, he saw Machi crawl towards Black Cat. She was fascinated by the lion and patted her hand against its mane. She buried herself into the fur and he was amused by her curiosity. Machi tried to climb onto the giant creature but she didn’t have the strength to pull herself onto its back. He placed her on the lion.

“Ma!” Machi waved to Mahiru sleeping not too far from her. She frowned when Mahiru didn’t wave back to her and crawled towards him. Her grip faltered and she began to slip off the lion. Kuro quickly caught her before she could crash into Mahiru and wake him. “Kuu?”

“You’re a little troublemaker, aren’t you?” He smiled and pinched her cheek. Her face scrunched up in disapproval and his light chuckle grew into laughter. Like Mahiru, she was cute even while irritated. He poked her nose and she grabbed his finger. She pulled on his ring and he guessed she liked the flower design or the simple fact that it was a shimmering gold.

“Mama.” She pointed to Mahiru.

“Mahiru and I have matching rings. It’s very important so you shouldn’t play with it.” Kuro told her as he sat down next to Mahiru. He created a necklace for her with a flower pendent and placed it around her neck. Her eyes widened. Machi immediately put the gold flower into her mouth. “No, you can’t eat that! Don’t swallow and spit it out, Machi.”

“Ma!” She shook her head and gripped the chain so he couldn’t take the necklace from her.

He felt a presence grow behind him and Kuro turned around. A hydra was standing behind him and he instinctively went to protect Mahiru. He didn’t know how the creature could reach his home without him sensing it. He couldn’t fight well while he held Machi so he placed her on Mahiru’s lap. She didn’t seem to be the least bit afraid as she played with her new necklace.

The moment he faced the hydra again, it was gone. He sighed in relief but he was still confused about the hydra’s sudden appearance. Kuro made a note to himself to make a barrier to keep dangerous creatures from entering his forest. He would blame himself if Mahiru was attacked in his own forest.

“Ma?” Machi patted Mahiru and woke him. He yawned and then smiled down at the little girl.

“Did I doze off? I’m sorry, Mahi.” She waved the necklace in front of Mahiru to show it off. He gently stopped her hands when she tried to bite the flower again. “Don’t put random things into your mouth, Machi. That’s dirty. But that is a very pretty necklace you have there. It’s like my ring. Did Kuro make it for you?”

“Kuu.” Machi dropped the necklace and began to play with her foot. He tickled the sole of her feet and she burst into giggles.

“It’s nice to see you two playing together, Kuro.” He said and set Machi on the ground again so she could explore the beautiful garden. Kuro followed her and made sure she didn’t eat the flowers. Mahiru was a little worried about Kuro but he was slowly growing into his new role. “It wasn’t too hard watching her while I was asleep, was it?”

“You were asleep for only fifteen minutes. I can watch her for longer than that if you need me to.” Kuro reassured him and picked up Machi.

* * *

_Kuro found himself in another nightmare. He chased Mahiru’s soul through his forest. Mahiru was walking slowly yet Kuro could never reach him. He knew he was in a dream but he still tried to call his name. Finally, Mahiru stopped. He kept his back to him though. His soul faltered and Mahiru appeared transparent for a moment._

_“You promised to protect me. Why didn’t you? I trusted you.” Mahiru turned to face him with a sad smile. “My soul is split because of you. I can’t call any place a home. I have to travel to Earth and back to your forest constantly. That’s no way for me to live.”_

_“I’m so sorry, Mahiru. Please, don’t leave me.” He begged. Every time Mahiru had to return to Earth, he was afraid that he would never return. Mahiru never blamed him for what happened but Kuro worried he felt that way. Maybe he will eventually realize he was to blame and decide to stay on Earth. He held his hands and lowered his forehead against his shoulder._

_“It’s too late for that.” Mahiru vanished from his hands and Kuro felt a chill pass through him._

_He looked down at his empty hands and bit his lip. Kuro closed his eyes and pictured the comforting smile Mahiru always gave him after he woke from a nightmare. He ran his hands through his hair and took a deep breath. “Get a hold of yourself, Kuro. This is just a nightmare. Mahiru is beside you right now. You can’t wake him up because of another nightmare.”_

_Kuro sat down and wondered when the nightmare would end. He wanted to wake up and hold Mahiru in his arms again. Every night, he would be trapped in a nightmare where Mahiru left him and he would be left chasing his soul. Usually, when he was aware he was in a dream, he could control his dream somewhat. He wasn’t able do anything about his nightmare though._

_“You’re not going to look for me?” He looked up and Mahiru was standing in front of him. “But I want to play hide-and-seek.”_

_“Hide-and-seek?” Kuro was shocked by his words. He stood up and faced Mahiru. He tried to touch him but his hands passed through him. Mahiru faded into clouds and he was more confused by his dream. He tried to wake himself and slapped his cheeks. “Why am I doing this to myself? I just want this to end already.”_

_“You don’t want to play anymore?” Kuro didn’t recognize the voice and turned around. He was shocked to see that it was Machi. She sat on a bench and he knelt in front of her. She appeared sad and he lightly patted her head. He was confused and he didn’t know if he was still dreaming but he went to comfort her. He wiped her tears gently. “I want to play more!”_

_“This dream continues to be weird. I’m comforting a talking toddler who wants to play even in a dream. At least it’s not a nightmare anymore.” Kuro remembered Lily’s letter. “Machi, you’re the Goddess of Nightmares. Did you enter my dreams and turned them into nightmares?”_

_“Nightmares? Playtime!” She corrected him and she floated off the bench. Kuro realized that she wasn’t aware of how her powers worked. He asked her several questions to learn more about her powers. While she slept, she innocently wandered into people’s dreams and turned their insecurities into nightmares. She had little control over the nightmares she created._

_“I guess we should teach you to control your powers.” Kuro said. “You can talk in the Dream Realm so it should be easier to teach you here.”_

* * *

“So, Machi was the one giving you nightmares. I’m sure she didn’t mean to do it.” Mahiru said the next morning. Kuro finished telling him about Machi’s powers. The little girl was chasing ants, unaware of their conversation. He created a cloud beneath the baby to carry her back to them. “When Lily finds someone to raise her, we should warn them about her control over the Dream Realm.”

“Actually, I want to talk to you about that. I’m already teaching her how to control her powers so it might be best if we raise her as raise her as our daughter. She likes Black Cat and you a lot already. We can be a family.” Kuro suggested and Mahiru couldn’t be happier. He nodded readily and looked down at Machi.

“How do you feel about becoming the newest residence of the Forest of Ash?” He asked.

“Mama!” She cheered.

“Either she’s accepting you as her mother or she’s agreeing with you.” Kuro told her.


End file.
